Diamond in the Rough
by Blackmoon7875
Summary: This is a prequel to my other story, The Demon Egg. Follow the half-breed Naruto from his birth to adulthood. And the many trials he must overcome to survive in a world that doesn't want him.
1. A new life in the storm

**Author's Notes:** Hello friends, I had a brainstorm the other day and this popped into my head. It's a prequel to my other story, The Demon Egg, I figured some might want to see how things started for our half-breed hero Naruto. And so here it is and I hope you enjoy it.

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A jagged bolt of lightning severed the night sky, illuminating the battle below. Over a few miles of land, dozens of bloody bodies lay strewn across the ground. Some of the corpses were human, some weren't.

Thunder roared, drowning out the sounds of human screams, blended with inhuman shrieks and the clashing of weapons.

Roughly a mile away from the carnage stood an impressive castle; Hundreds of Soldiers stood guard at the battlements, weapons drawn as they waited for the enemy army to reach them. The soldiers couldn't hear the sounds of the battle. They were too busy listening to the anguished screams, coming from the castles highest tower.

Inside the tower was a small, round room, lit with torches. In the center of the room was a wood-frame bed. A young woman lay on the bed, screaming in pain. Her mother sat beside her, holding one of her hands. Seven midwives stood around her. And off to the side, the king watched.

The king scowled as the young woman's screams died down to sobs. The torches in the room flickered.

"Shhhh... peace, my dear." said one of the midwives, smoothing the girls red hair away from her tear-streaked face. "T'will all be over soon."

The midwife gazed down at the pitiful looking princess. Her face was flushed; her eyes were swollen from crying.

The girl's mother dipped a cloth in a nearby wash-basin, filled with water. Then she gently ran the cloth over the girl's sweat-soaked brow. "You're doing just fine." The queen said to her daughter. Her voice was soothing and re-assuring. But at the same time, the queen shot a look at one of the midwives, who nodded to her.

"You're highness, may I please speak with you?" that midwife said, standing up and approaching the king. The king nodded and followed the midwife out of the room.

"Tis no good, milord." the midwife said once the door was closed behind them. "The princess is a delicate thing. She'd have trouble with a regular child, let alone a..."

"I understand." The king said sharply to the midwife. "What about the child?"

The midwife looked at the floor for a moment.

"Tis' hard to say, Highness." said the midwife, "But it seems to be alive and well."

The king scowled, "I don't care what it takes!" He swore, "My daughter will live!"

The king looked at the midwife, his eyes narrowed into slits. He glanced at the door to the delivery room as his daughter cried out again. "As soon as that thing is born, you do what must be done. I want it destroyed."

"Yes, my lord." the midwife said, turning and going back into the room. The king stood outside the room, rubbing his forehead with one hand.

"Is it not going well?" asked a familiar voice. The king looked up as his future son-in law appeared from around a corner. Dressed in bawdy garb, as usual.

"Everything is going fine, Prince Awold." the king said. The prince nodded.

"Why so glum?" the prince asked, "By morning this'll all be over. Once the little beast is dead, the grown ones will have no reason to fight. They'll run away, I'll graciously marry your soiled daughter, and you'll gain my kingdom as an ally."

The prince smiled and reached out, resting his hand on the king's shoulder. The king shoved the princes' hand away.

"Don't be acting' like some saint!" The king swore. "It's not like you're taking' my daughter out of the goodness of your heart. I had to triple her dowry before you'd agree to go on with the marriage."

The princes' smile faded. "Can you blame me?" he asked with a look of revulsion, "Don't you know what that girl's laid with? She's repulsive. You're lucky I'm still willing to take her as my own."

The king glared at the prince. The prince stepped past him and opened the door a bit, just enough so they could peer inside. The Princess cried out, her body jerking with another birth pang. A roll of thunder shook the tower, drowning out the girl's next cry of pain. There was a flurry of movement as all the midwives went to work, trying to comfort the princess.

"Where is he?" The princess whispered once she caught her breath again. "Why hasn't he come yet? Minato!?"

The kings face turned white, then red with rage. The prince shut the door slowly.

"See?" Awold said to the king, "Even now Princess Kushina cries out for that monster. You know what I say is true. If she does not wed me, she'll never wed anyone. Anyone human, that is."

The king glared at the prince then looked away with a sigh. Deep down, he agreed with him. "Call for me when the princess is well enough to travel." said the Prince, bowing to the king for a moment. Then he turned and walked down the staircase.

"Go on, princess," one of the midwives whispered her voice urgent. "Push now, push!"

The princess moaned quietly. She squeezed her mothers hand in a crushing grip.

"Push!" The queen said to her. Thunder crashed one last time, merging with the Princess' final scream.

As the thunder died down, the princess sobbed softly. A moment later, her tears of pain changed to joy. She laughed weakly as loud, newborn cries filled the room.

"Is it all right?" the princess whispered, smiling, "Mother, is it all right?"

The girl's mother stood up slowly. She walked over to the midwife, who held the squirming infant wrapped in a bloody white cloth. The midwife was shaking, looking like she was trying hard not to be sick. The queen reached out and pulled aside a corner of the cloth, revealing the babies face. The queen looked at the infant, and then quickly re-covered its face in disgust.

"Mother?"

The queen looked at her daughter. The princess was very pale, and there was a pleading look in her eyes. "My baby, is my baby all right?"

The queen looked at the new born, unable to disguise her disgust. "It's alive." she finally said.

"The bairn's fine, princess. It's a lad." said a different midwife. The queen gave the midwife a dirty look.

"Oh, let me see him." The princess whispered. She lifted her arms, but was too weak to sit up. "I want to hold him."

The queen grabbed the midwifes shoulder to stop her, but the midwife pulled free. She carried the baby over to the princess, laying him in her arms.

Kushina held the baby close to her chest. She smiled softly, running her fingertips over the infants face. If she noticed the strange complexion, the discoloration, and the strange limbs sprouting from the infants back, she didn't seem to mind.

"Minato will be so proud." she whispered. Her eyes were starting to glaze over.

Another midwife stood up and walked over to the king. Her expression was grim.

"You're highness, I'm sorry." The midwife said to him. "We can't stop the bleeding."

The king looked at the midwife, his expression one of pain and rage. One hand clenched into a fist. He looked at his daughter, wanting to rip the thing she was holding from her arms. The queen looked at the king. Her sorrow and rage as intense as his.

Kushina closed her eyes, smiling softly. "If I'm asleep when he gets here..." Kushina said to her mother, "Tell Minato I want him to give our son a name. I'm too tired to think of one right now."

Tears trickled from the queens eyes. She reached out and touched her daughters face. "Yes," she said, "I'll tell him." Inside, the queen was cursing the baby's father.

Kushina looked up at her mother, blinking as lightning flashed. "Why are you crying?" Kushina asked. "My son's healthy... I'm not in any pain at all." The princess looked down at her son. It was taking all her strength to hold him up. "My son." she said again, her voice filled with emotion.

The princess leaned down, brushing her lips over the baby's brow. The infant had stopped crying and was curled up against her bosom.

Kushina closed her eyes. Her grip on the infant grew weak. Lightning flashed.  


One of the midwives felt the Princess' wrist. "She's gone." The midwife said quietly. There was a long silence. Thunder boomed, rattling the tower once more. The loud sound startled the baby, and it started crying again.

The king looked at the baby for a moment.

"Drown it." He said.

The queen looked up, hesitating for a second, then she nodded in agreement. Her eyes filled with hate as she glared at the infant.

A midwife stepped forward, prying the infant from its dead mother's arms. The baby whimpered as the midwife gripped it roughly. She carried the baby over to the wash basin, and then gripped it by the ankles. She prepared to drop the infant in.

Suddenly, one of the soldiers outside let out a scream. The sound was choked off, and a dull thud was heard a moment later. Like a body falling and hitting the ground. Lightning flashed, illuminating a huge figure outside one of the tower windows. The women in the room screamed, stepping away from the window.

A shadow stood on the windowsill, its body blotting out the view outside. A silhouette stood for a second, then stepped into the room.

The figure stood tall; its dark hide making him look like a piece of the night, come to life. The figures huge, pale blue wings were spread at its side. Rainwater trickled down its hide, dripping from the edges of its wings and the tips of its polished horns.

The creature's blank, white eyes scanned the room for a moment. It folded its wings like a cloak as it took in the scene. The human girl it cared for was lying on the bed, pale and lifeless. The girl's mother was standing over her. The king had fled to one corner of the room, where he shook in terror. Six of the midwives were cowering as far away from the window as they could be.

The seventh midwife was standing over the wash basin, holding the creature's son. The baby was crying. The creature growled, a red gleam entering its gaze.

"Minato?" The king sounded stunned that he had shown.

"You!" The queen spat out in rage, stepping toward the creature, "What are you doing here!?"

Minato was silent. He stared at the midwife holding his child. Wisely, the woman adjusted her grip so she was holding the baby, rather than dangling it.

"Beast!" The queen said to him, quivering in rage.

Minato ignored the queen. Silently, he stepped forward, moving to the bed. He stood beside the still form of Kushina and gazed down at her.

"See what you did!?" The queen whispered, glaring at him. "You killed her. You killed our only daughter. How dare you show your face here? How dare you!?"

Minato reached out. Gently, he ran his knuckles down the side of Kushina's face. He brushed her red hair away from her closed eyes. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were filled with sorrow. After a moment, he took his hand away.

Minato stood tall, and then turned to look at the King and Queen.

"I've come for what is mine." he said, his voice rumbled like the thunder outside.

This time, the king did speak up. "What?" he said, "You want that disgusting thing?" Here, the king gestured to the newborn.

"You can't have it." The queen said, glaring at Minato. The king looked at the queen in surprise. He started to say something to her, but she shot him a scathing look.

"No," she said, and then she looked at Minato. "That thing took our child away. Why should we let this half-breed whelp live?"

There was a sound like metal scraping metal, Minato unfurled his wing and lifted his arm. Mounted on his forearm was a heavy, gauntlet weapon. A jagged blade slid out of the weapon.

"That half-breed is your grandchild." Minato said to the queen. He spoke calmly, but he was obviously fighting back rage. "You would kill your own flesh and blood. Your daughters flesh and blood."

"Look at it," the King spoke up, gesturing to the infant. "There is nothing of our daughter in it!"

Minato lunged forward; he grabbed the king by the throat, and lifted him off his feet. The midwives screamed, and the queen stumbled back.

"In my clan," Minato said, "Someone who tries to kill his own is punished."

Minato pressed the blade against the king's throat. The king swallowed fearfully, a drop of blood trickled down his neck.

"If it weren't for Kushina's love for you, I'd remove your head." Minato snarled.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his back. Minato glanced over his shoulder in time to see the queen step back, clutching a dagger. His blood trickled down the blade.

Minato flicked his tail, and it knocked the blade from the queen's hand. The queen cried out as a second blow knocked her off her feet. She struck the bed where her daughter lay and passed out.

"Now," Minato said, turning his attention back to the king, "I'll tell you what's going to happen. I am going to take my child. I am going to leave. And you are never going to threaten my clan again."

Minato let the king go. The old king slumped to the floor, shaking. Then, Minato reached down and tore the king's cape off.

Minato walked over to where the midwife stood, holding the baby. The woman gave a soft gasp of fear and shoved the baby at Minato. The action almost caused the baby to fall. Minato had to catch it.

Irritated, Minato growled at the midwife, who fell down in a dead faint.  


Minato looked down at the newborn. The baby was a little bit bigger than a regular human baby, but very small for a newborn gargoyle. Carefully, Minato wrapped his son in the king's cloak. Minato held the newborn to his strong chest. He gently stroked the baby's face. After a moment, the infant stopped crying.

Minato looked at Kushina one last time, and then he turned and started back toward the window.

"Minato," said the king. Minato stopped at the window sill and glanced at the king.

"This isn't over. I cannot let my daughter's death go unpunished." The king's expression grew hard, "I swear, if your don't remove your clan from my kingdom, I will wipe them out."

Minato looked at the king, and then he sighed. "This land belongs to my clan. My father was born on this land; I was born on this land, now both my sons were born on this land, and one day it will be theirs. I'm not giving it up."

The king grew pale with outrage. Before he could say a word, Minato had stepped onto the windowsill. He held the small bundle to his chest, using one arm to shield it from the rain. He paused one last time to look at his son.

The baby was wide awake. His eyes were a soft shade of yellow. At the moment, they were wide with wonder as the baby stared up at its father. Minato tightened his grip protectively. Then, spreading his wings, He leaped off the sill and vanished into the night.

**-_XXXX_-**

By morning, the storm had passed. The Gargoyle village; a cluster of large, stone huts surrounded by woodland, was bathed in a light gray mist. Most of the clan was awake at dawn.

Not too far from the village, a small tree fell over. An axe-blade buried in its trunk. A young gargoyle warrior stepped forward and tugged the axe out of the wood. Then, he lifted his gaze, scanning the woodland around him. His ears were pricked slightly, waiting for any sound that may indicate his father was returning.

Sauske had been awake for hours, waiting for his father to come back. When the chief didn't return at the time he'd been expected to, his son had started to worry.

A warm breeze whispered through the trees. Sauske's eyes narrowed and he brushed a stray lock of hair away from his face. He wasn't worried about his father's well being so much as he was worried about what the chief was doing.

He growled softly at the thought. Somehow, he just knew. The chief was with that human again. Sauske tightened his grip on his axe handle.

He hated that wench.

About three years ago, the princess had shown up, disguised in male clothing, riding one of the king's finest horses. The stupid girl had waltzed right into the village and had demanded to see the chief. Personally, Sauske thought they should've taken the princess hostage. His father, however, was too impressed with the girl's courage, and had granted her an audience. It was later learned that she believed, falsely, that the gargoyle clan was responsible for a recent battle between the races. The princess had thought she could reason with the chief to stop the fighting. Rather than be angry, like 

he should have, the chief had simply told her the truth about the conflicts. Then forgave her for her impudence. He'd actually let her leave the village unharmed!

If that wasn't bad enough, the wench had come back months later, after a human attack on a neighboring clan. But this time, it was to apologize on her family's behalf. After that, she kept coming back to see the Chief. Sauske knew what was going on. At first the two of them would just talk. But after a while, they started taking 'walks' together. The chief and Princess would leave the village, going for long walks in the forest together. They claimed to be talking about negotiations between the humans and gargoyles. Sauske doubted that. Every time they came back, the Princess' clothing would be ripped, and she would be blushing like a milkmaid. The chief would always walk beside her, one wing draped across her shoulder protectively.

However, several months ago, the princess stopped coming to the village. In spite of his clans protests, the chief went to visit the princess repeatedly. He would never say why.

Feeling angry, Sauske lifted his axe and brought it down, cutting the tree once more. He spent the next few minutes hacking at it, turning the wood into splinters.

When his anger was finally spent, Sauske just stood there, breathing heavily. He glared at the pile of wood.

A twig snapped, alerting Sauske. He turned around, muscles tensed and ready for an attack. He relaxed when he saw Minato, approaching him from within a clump of trees. The Chief looked tired. His wings were draped loosely over his shoulders, blocking his front from view.

"Father," Sauske said. He rested his weapon against his chest and inclined his head; a respectful gesture used to address a chief.

Minato nodded. "You're out early," He said to his son. Minato looked at the mutilated tree. "Do we need firewood?"

Sauske didn't answer. As Minato spoke, he'd shifted his wings slightly. Sauske had caught a glimpse of something. A bundle of purple cloth nestled in the crook of Minato's arm. Normally, Sauske wouldn't pay much attention to something like that. But the cloth was moving.

"What is that?" Sauske demanded. Minato paused, and then took his wings away, completely exposing the bundle.

"A newborn." Minato said. Sauske stepped forward and pulled a fold of cloth away so he could see the baby.

"A newborn WHAT?" Sauske asked, his face filled with disgust.

"A gargoyle, of course." Minato said sharply.

Sauske looked at his father, his eyes narrowed.

"A gargoyle?" he repeated. Sauske pulled more of the cloth away. Minato tried to move back, but the infant's upper body was exposed. The infant blinked in the bright morning light.

"A gargoyle without wings?" Sauske said, "A gargoyle with a hide like that?"  


Sauske gestured to the babies markings. They cut a striking contrast to the child's light gray complexion. Most gargoyles are born with mud-colored skin that changed when the young one starts developing. They were never born their true color. And never more than one.

This child's hide was the color of stone, not mud. And he was covered in black markings.

"It's a draking half-breed!" Sauske swore.

Minato nodded. "Yes, he is a half-ling." There was no shame in his voice.

Sauske tensed, feeling anger churning in his gut. "Is this," Sauske whispered, "The reason you've been visiting the human's castle?"

"Now is not the time to discuss this, Sauske." Minato said, covering the baby once more. He started toward the village. .

"I knew you were mating with that filthy human!" Sauske snarled, his voice filled with accusation.

Minato stopped. "I never denied we were together." Minato stated, "And do not insult her."

"Why shouldn't I? A human sow who doesn't know which race she belongs to, why not leave the brat with her?"

Minato closed his eyes, drawing several deep breaths. It was taking a lot of will power not to strike out at his older son.

"Kushina cannot care for the child. And her family does not want it as their own."

Sauske looked at his father. "The princess is dead, isn't she?"

Minato looked at his new born. He gently touched the babies face. The baby stopped fussing, and gripped his father's sharp claws. Minato tugged gently, but the baby didn't let go.

Slowly, Minato nodded at his son's statement. Sauske fell silent. He glanced at his battle axe, seeing his reflection in the steel.

Sauske looked at Minato, then at his newborn brother.

"What have you done?" Sauske asked, "If the attacks on the clan were bad before, they'll be hell now. The humans will blame you for the death of their princess, they'll never leave us be, now."

"Then we will defend ourselves, as we always have." Minato said patiently.

"Forget defense!" Sauske said, raising his voice, "They'll send their whole draking army after us now! We should wipe them out first!"

Minato said nothing for a moment. Sauske glared at his father. "Well?" he said, "Answer me!"

"Naruto." Minato said quietly. Sauske blinked, "What?" he said, not understanding. "Your brother. His name is Naruto. It was the name of a human warrior." Minato stated.  


"Wait, you're keeping the half-breed?" Sauske said, unable to believe his father's actions.

Minato looked at Sauske, his expression stern. "He has a name. Do not call him half-breed again."

Minato shook his head. He was exhausted, both from traveling and from his encounter with the soldiers at the castle. All he wanted to do was sleep.

"But father," Sauske said, "You can't--"

"This discussion is over." Minato growled his voice stern, "Naruto is my son, and as much a part of this clan as you are."

Sauske gritted his teeth but said nothing. He just looked at his father with disgust.

Minato sighed, and then turned to face his son. He stepped toward him. Minato reached out with his free hand, and after a moments hesitation, he rested his hand on his older sons shoulder.

"Sauske," Minato said, in a slightly kinder tone, "You are my first born; and when the time comes, you will be the new chief. Nothing will change that."

Sauske looked at his father, their eyes met; But Sauske's expression didn't soften.

Minato's smile faded, when he saw his peace offering hadn't been accepted. Minato took his hand away and started back toward the village.

As Minato moved, he glanced down once more at his newborn. Carefully, he adjusted the cloth wrapping, tucking a corner in around the baby's shoulder. No doubt the clan would disapprove of the child, but that did not matter. Minato was chief; his word was law. He made his choices', and owed no explanation.

Minato sighed quietly. He would present Naruto to the clan, but first he needed a long nap.

Sauske watched his father walk away, keeping his eyes on the newborn. In spite of the chief's reassurances, Sauske couldn't shake the feeling he had lost a position he'd never get back.

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**Well here's chapter one, what do you think? Love it, hate it? Let me know what you think.**


	2. Encounters

Here's chapter two, hope you enjoy.

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The reaction of the clan was just as bad as Minato had expected. Although the clan had known about Minato's actions with the princess, none of them had been expecting a child. The clan knew better than to demand Minato give it up. He was their chief, and they needed him in the middle of this war. They knew if they wanted to keep the strength Minato gave his clan, they would have to tolerate his half-ling son. That is what they did. When Minato brought the newborn to them, the clan provided wet nurses. When Minato had to leave for battle, the clan members would shift the half-ling from hut to hut. Providing him with food and shelter. But that is all they did. Shelter, sustenance. The same things they'd use to keep an animal alive. There was no love lost on the child.

In spite of his difficult birth, Naruto grew quickly. In only a year and a half he was walking, and not long after that, playing with the same energy as the other clan children.

Fortunate enough to be born in the rainy-season, Naruto was brought into the clan at the same time other gargoyles were being born. The mating season before that had also been productive, so there were several children only a year older than him. And unlike the adults of the clan, the young ones seemed delighted with him.

The gargoyles close to Naruto's age seemed to be fascinated with their half-ling playmate. They loved to touch the markings on his face, and the weak limbs where his wings should've been. His strange appearance was a curiosity to them; and they liked him for it.  
Yet, in spite of all the attention, the half-ling was shy. He couldn't play most of the games the clan children played; He just wasn't built for them. When he did play, he would notice the adults staring at him, looking angry, as if he'd done something wrong. He didn't understand the cold looks they gave him. His confusion kept him from having fun. Because of this, Naruto spent most of his time close to the only adult who seemed to like him; his father.

Due to the war going on, Minato went away a lot, either to fight, or negotiate or help another clan. When he was away, he couldn't protect Naruto. His young son suffered for it. The clan never called Naruto by name. They would call him half-breed. Some of the more daring members called him Ragkol, or draker. Eventually, even the clan children took on their parents opinions. They stopped calling him by name. And once they're interest in him faded, they stopped playing with him all together.

Back then, the half-ling was far too young to understand what was happening. He didn't know why the adults spoke harshly to him. He didn't know why the other children called him names, and pushed him down when he tried to play with them. A child was not meant to deal with such pain. Naruto was no exception.

Minato seemed to know what went on behind his back. No amount of threats or reasoning would change the clans opinion of his second born. To counter this, he seemed determined to love his son with twice the strength of the clans hate. Whenever he came home, he'd spend hours, playing with his son, telling him stories about the clans past, taking him to explore the woods...

But the one thing both Naruto and Minato enjoyed; more than games or stories, or anything else; was flying. At three years old; Minato's son was smaller than an average gargoyle his age, and even if he was normal size, it wouldn't matter. Minato was strong. He would carry his son in his arms. He would soar above the clan territory on powerful wind currents, clutching his son to his chest. The child would cling tightly to him, sometimes smiling and giggling, sometimes just watching the ground below in 

quiet amazement. Usually, they didn't say much on these flights. They didn't need to. Just being close together, away from the glares of the clan, was enough.

Unfortunately, with the war raging, Minato wasn't able to spend as much time with his family as he wanted to. More often than not, he was away from the clan.

Faced with his father's absence and the clan's cruelty, Naruto turned to what his young mind saw as the next best thing to his father. When Minato went away, Naruto sought comfort and affection from his brother.

Sauske was not pleased by this. Whenever his father wasn't there, he would find himself with a second shadow. No matter whom he left the child with, how much he threatened, or where he hid; his brother would always find him eventually. Sauske couldn't walk anywhere without hearing soft footsteps following him. The only time he could get away from his brother was when he glided or flew somewhere. And more often then not, he'd find the child waiting at the bottom of whatever high-up place he found. The young half-ling would always sit on the ground, looking up at his brother hopefully. Always waiting for him to come back down.

Sauske wasn't sure why Naruto acted that way. Maybe it was the slight resemblance Sauske bore to their father. Maybe it was their similar scents. Either way, none of Sauske's behavior encouraged his brother. He would always snarl and yell at the young one, replacing his name with every curse in their language. He didn't dare to strike the child, but he would trip him, or shove him down whenever the child came near.

Sauske felt no love for Naruto. Those occasional days when he didn't hate him; he felt nothing but a cold apathy toward the half-ling.

Yet the child's affection persisted.

One day; (It was a few hours after his father's last visit.) Sauske pretended to be kind to his brother; but as soon as Minato was gone; Sauske shifted his duties to an older female, ordering her to look after the young one.

"What do you want me to do with this!?" The female asked, looking toward Naruto with disgust.

"Do I look like a nurse-maid to you?" Sauske snapped at her, "You keep an eye on it."  
As Sauske spoke, he pointed a finger at his brother. The young Half-ling was outside one of the huts, his attention focused on a toy ball he was playing with.

There was a group of gargoyle children playing tag; not too far away. Once in a while, Naruto would glance at them longingly, but he knew better than to try and join in. The young one contented himself with rolling the ball around on the ground.

"I can't watch the brat." said the female, "I've got better things to do."

"Like what?" Sauske scoffed. The female smiled at him tauntingly. "Anything's better than playing nursemaid to that little half-breed."

As the female spoke, she crossed the space between her and Naruto. She stooped down for a moment, picking the child up. Then she turned and stormed back toward Sauske.  
"Care for your own blood." She said, shoving the child into his arms, "Leave the rest of your clan be."  


With that, she turned and stormed away. Sauske yelled an insult at her as she left, and then he shook his head. He glared at his younger brother.

Naruto blinked, and then slid his arms around his brother's neck, hugging close to him instinctively.

Sauske scowled. He pried Naruto off his neck with the same affection he'd show a tick, and then roughly set him down on the ground.

The young one looked up at his older brother. Slowly, he hugged his knees to his chest. He didn't say anything. He just gazed up at Sauske.

"Stay." Sauske snapped, glaring down at his brother, "Just sit there. If you try to follow me, I'll break your neck."

The young one blinked. It had heard this threat before. Many times. So far, its neck was still intact.

Sauske turned and started to walk away. A few seconds later, he heard soft footsteps hurrying after him.

Sauske turned, snarling loudly enough to startle Naruto. The young one took a few steps back and sat down quickly, as if to pretend it hadn't gotten up. Sauske glared at his younger brother. The half-ling tried to hold his gaze, but after a few moment's looked away.

"What part of stay don't you understand?" Sauske demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. He did this to keep from punching the four-year-old.

The young one stood up, looking at him innocently. Sauske scowled.

"Stupid half-breed." He spat out, "You can't even talk, can you?"

Naruto glanced at the ground. The truth was, he could speak. Quite well for his age. The problem was, whenever he said something to an adult, they would get angry at him. So... he just didn't say anything.

"Fine, be silent." Sauske growled, turning his back on Naruto, "It's better than listening to your disgusting whimpering."

Sauske took a few steps away, and then grunted slightly in surprise when he felt a tug.

Sauske glanced over his shoulder. His little brother was tightly gripping the end of his tail. The young one was examining the limb curiously.

"Draking little--" Sauske swore, jerking his tail out of Naruto's grasp. Then, out of sheer bewilderment, he said, "Look; what'll it take to get you to leave me be!?"

Naruto looked up at Sauske, and for just a moment, he looked thoughtful. Then he stood up and walked away. Sauske stared as Naruto got the toy he had been playing with earlier and brought it back.

Naruto held the ball out to Sauske, offering it to him.  


"This?" Sauske said, taking it from him. He looked at the leather-bound toy, and then he looked at Naruto. "What do you expect me to do with this?"

The young one gave him a look, as if it were the silliest question he'd ever heard.

"Oh," Sauske said after a moment. He tossed the ball into the air and caught it with one hand. "You want me to play with you?"

Naruto glanced at the ground, and then glanced up at Sauske. He nodded timidly.

Sauske looked around. His gaze settled on the forest, surrounding the clan. He smiled slightly.

"Alright." Sauske said after a moment. He arched his arm back, and then threw the ball as hard as he could. He chuckled as it flew over the treetops.

Naruto was staring after the toy, his expression unreadable.

"Well, don't just stand there," Sauske said, "Catch!"

The young one didn't move, he just kept staring.

"All right," Sauske said with a shrug, "If you don't want to play..." The older gargoyle turned once more to walk away.

He heard footsteps again, running this time. He glanced over his shoulder, and then was bewildered when he saw his younger brother, hurrying toward the woods. Sauske stared in disbelief, and then he laughed as his brother disappeared into the forest.

"The little ragkol's as dumb as a rock." Sauske said, shaking his head. No way would he find the toy. Sauske smiled, and then kept walking. He whistled cheerfully. Maybe the brat would get lost.

**-**_**XXXX**_**-**

Naruto wandered through the thick forest; trying to guess which way his ball had gone. He wasn't at all worried about losing his way; or running into something. He'd explored these woods before and actually liked spending time in them. The quiet was nice; and climbing the trees was almost like flying.

Naruto turned his head; hearing the sound of running water. He followed the noise.  
Naruto pushed through a clump of bushes; and saw a large stream. He walked over to the waters edge. Then knelt, looking into the stream. He saw his reflection.

Naruto tilted his head to one side, curious about his own appearance. He touched his face, running his fingers along one of the dark stripes thoughtfully. None of the other gargoyles had them.

Naruto reached down and scooped up a handful of water. He splashed himself in the face. Then rubbed at one of the stripes. He'd done this before and as usual, the stripe didn't wash off.

Naruto sighed. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something.

The ball was drifting in the stream, caught between two rocks.  


A big smile spread across Naruto's face. Stripes forgotten, he hurried over to the waters edge. Naruto knelt on hands and knees beside the water and pulled the ball out.

Naruto sat down on the ground and looked the ball over. It was wet, but in good shape. He nodded, a satisfied smile on his face, and then he stood up and turned to go back to the village.

"Oh, come on, Jiraiya, hurry up!"

Naruto stopped and turned around. He heard a voice, coming from the other side of the stream. Naruto took a few steps closer to the stream. He looked in the direction of the sound and sniffed curiously. A moment later, he sneezed. That always happened when he caught a scent he didn't recognize.

Naruto blinked, bewildered. Whatever the voice was, it didn't belong to a gargoyle. The creature's scent was too strange, even for a rival clan member.

But, what other creature could talk?

Naruto remembered stories the older gargoyle children had told. Stories about big, terrifying creatures known as Demons. The stories said that a demon couldn't be killed; and that they were big enough to eat a young gargoyle in one bite.

Naruto looked around frantically, suddenly forgetting which way the village was. He could hear the voice talking to a second voice. Whatever the voice was, it was coming closer.

Naruto jumped behind a large bush, ducking down close to the ground. Then he quickly crawled into the bush and hid there, trembling, the ball clutched to his chest.

From his hiding place, Naruto could see the bank on the other side of the stream.

As Naruto watched, the foliage parted, and two strange creatures stepped out of the forest.

One of the creatures looked female. The female was carrying an armful of clothes. With her other arm, she gripped the hand of a smaller, male creature, which followed behind her. Naruto stared at the male.

"Ah, here it is." The female said, letting go of the young male's hand. "Plenty of water for drinking and washing. Maybe we'll have fish for supper."

The female knelt beside the water and put the clothes aside. She put a shirt in the water and scrubbed at it. The male creature sat down beside the female and watched her work.

Naruto stared at the creatures. His mouth opened slightly in disbelief. He'd never seen animals like this.

They looked a little bit like gargoyles. But they were smaller. Their skin was a strange color, like peaches. They didn't have any horns, or wings. Naruto couldn't tell for sure, but it didn't look like they had tails either.

He cocked his head to one side. Could these creatures be the demons he'd heard of? They didn't look terrifying. And they were small. Naruto was at least as big at the male. They smelled funny, but Naruto didn't sense any danger around them. What were they?

The young male stood up. He wandered about absent-mindedly for a few minutes. Then he sat down beside the stream. As Naruto watched, the creature took out a strange looking object. It was shaped sort of like a large acorn, and it had a string attached.

The male creature set the object down, and yanked on the string. Naruto's eyes went wide as the object seemed to leap up and spin around on its tip.

_"What is that?"_ Naruto wondered. His interest was drawn away from the creature as he focused on the object. Naruto was sure it was some kind of toy.

After a few moments, the male creature picked up the toy and put it in a pouch he wore.

"Hey, nee-chan, can I play over there?" The male asked, gesturing to the other side of the stream. "I think I see a berry bush."

Naruto looked around slowly. The bush he was hiding in was heavy with berries.

The female looked up at the male, "Fine," she said, "But if you're not back by the time I finish, I'm going home without you."

The male waded across the stream, humming. He moved toward a bush a few yards away from Naruto's hiding place.

Naruto was uneasy. He wasn't sure what the male creature was, or what it could do.  
Moving very carefully, Naruto crawled out from under the bush. Then, he stood up, his movement slow. The creature was too busy looking for berries, and didn't notice.

Quickly, Naruto bolted, managing to hide behind a large tree.

The male creature looked up. He'd heard something move.

"Nee-chan...?" the creature said nervously, "I heard an animal."

"Your in a forest, of course their are animals, git." His sister said.

The male looked at the female, then moved toward the bush Naruto had been hiding in.

Now the creature was only a few feet away. Unable to resist, Naruto peeked from behind the tree. The male creature was on its hand and knees, examining the bush. Naruto checked. No tail.

What **WAS** that creature?

The creature settled back, holding something. It was the ball. Naruto had forgotten it.

Naruto tensed slightly, frowning. He didn't want to leave his toy behind.

The creature looked at the ball, and then stood up. Quickly, Naruto ducked back behind the tree. The 

creature took a few steps, and then sat down at the base of the tree, so close that if Naruto wanted to, he could've reached out and touched him.

The male looked at the ball, examining it curiously. The creature shook the ball, as if expecting it to do something. When it didn't, the creature set the toy to the side.

As Naruto watched, the creature started eating some berries, humming to itself as it did.

Naruto thought for a few moments. He wasn't sure what the creature was, but it had his ball. He wanted it back.

Moving quietly, Naruto crouched down. He looked at the ball, and then carefully reached for it. He jerked his hand away when the creature stopped humming suddenly. Naruto froze, gripping the tree. He heard footsteps.

Shivering slightly, Naruto stood up and peeked around the tree.

The creature was gone.

Naruto blinked, looking around.

Suddenly, a weight plowed into him as the creature came at him from behind.

Naruto let out a yelp as he crashed to the ground, the creature on top of him. He landed face-down and it hurt. He squirmed and kicked. The creature seemed strong.

Naruto cried out in terror, he shouted for his father, and his brother, desperate for help. The creature wrestled with him, gripping his shoulder spikes with one hand and climbing on top of him to keep him from running.

"Ha! I caught you, Goblin!" The creature said, it shifted its grip, struggling to pin him down.

"Let me go." Naruto stammered, then again, "Let me go!"

"Oh no," The creature said, "You don't fool me. If I let go of you, you'll disappear. Right?"

Naruto turned his head to stare at the creature. "Yes!" he blurted out. He wasn't going to lie; if the creature let go, he'd run.

The creature tightened its grip, though Naruto was trembling so violently, it could barely stay on him.

"I know all about Goblins," The creature said, "I'm not letting you go until you grant my wishes!"

"Huh?" Naruto looked at the creature, "I-I don't know how."

The creature frowned, "Yes you do." it said, "All goblins grant wishes, but if you catch one, it'll try and trick out of it. You don't fool me."

"What?" Naruto had never heard of a goblin before, and he was sure he didn't know how to grant wishes. Then, "I'm not a goblin, just let go!"

The creatures smile vanished. "Nuh-uh. You're not gonna fool me. Grant my wishes or I'll never let you go!"

Naruto, more afraid than anything else, growled at the creature. His eyes darkened to a faint red shade, and his trembling lips pulled back in an attempt to mimic his brother's fierce snarl. It seemed to work. The male creature loosened its grip a bit, looking fearful.

Taking advantage, Naruto craned his neck and bit the creature's hand.

"OW!" The creature cried out and let go of Naruto, it fell back onto its bottom and clutched its hand.

Naruto realized he was free. He bolted quickly.

Naruto heard a strange sound that made him look back.

The creature was crying, holding its hand to its chest. Naruto stopped, and then turned around. He could see the tears running down its face.

Naruto stared. The gargoyle children in the village didn't cry. They could sob and whimper, making the same sounds as crying; but they couldn't shed tears.

Naruto could. He knew better than to do it, of course. The grown-ups got angry at him when he cried. He thought that was because he was the only one who did it.

But this demon, or whatever it was, was crying. Just like he did.

Naruto was bewildered. How it was this creature could cry like he did, when none of the other gargoyles could?

Naruto moved back toward the creature. Then, when he was a safe distance, he crouched down, trying to look at its face. The creature looked up at him, but didn't back away.

"What're you crying about?" Naruto asked.

"You bit me!" The creature accused. Naruto edged a bit closer, looking at the creatures hand. It was only bleeding a little.

"You wouldn't let me go." Naruto said, staring at the creature.

The creature kept whimpering slightly. "Goblins play tricks, but they can't hurt people." It sniffled, "You hurt me."

Without thinking, Naruto moved closer to the creature. It shrank back slightly, but didn't say anything. Naruto reached out and took its hand, examining the wound.

"My hand won't fall off, will it?" the male creature asked, sounding scared.

"Don't think so." Naruto said, looking at the bite marks, He paused a moment, then pressed his hand against the mark, pushing down. He's seen females in the clan do that when young ones got scratches and scrapes.  


"See? It's done bleeding." Naruto said. And just as he said, the flow of blood stopped.

Wound taken care of, Naruto stopped and looked at his hand, pressed against the creatures.

The creatures hand was almost the same size as Naruto's hand. It wasn't four-fingered and clawed, like a gargoyles talon. Instead, it had five fingers, and short nails. Just like his.

Naruto spread his fingers. The creature did the same. Their palms fit against each other, identical, except for the coloring.

"They're the same." Naruto said in amazement.

The creature blinked, looking down at there hands. It didn't say anything.

"Are you a demon?" Naruto asked the creature. The creature seemed surprised.

"No, I'm a boy." it said.

"A boy what?" Naruto asked. The creature looked at him oddly. "Just a boy. A human boy."

"What's a human?" Naruto asked, taking his hand away.

"I am. So is my sister and my parents... everyone I know is a human." The creature said. It looked at Naruto a few moments before saying, "If you're not a goblin, what are you?"

Naruto was quiet for a moment. He looked at the ground, then said, "I'm a half-breed."

"What's that?" the boy asked. "It means that I'm only half of a gargoyle." Naruto said, trying to remember what his brother told him when he'd asked the same question.

The boy's eyes widened. "You're a gargoyle?" he said, surprised. Then, "I thought they were bigger."

Naruto shrugged at that statement.

"I'm Naruto." He said after a moment. "My names Jiraiya." the boy said, "It's so neat to meet one of your kind. I'd only heard stories." He smiled and held out his hand.

Naruto stared at Jiraiya's hand, uncertain what the human expected.

"Don't you know how to shake?" Jiraiya asked. Naruto paused, and then his expression brightened. He reached out and wrapped his hand around Jiraiya's forearm. This was known as a Warriors greeting. Naruto was happy because no one had ever offered him the greeting before.

"You're strange." Jiraiya said once they broke off the greeting. He looked around, and then picked up the ball Naruto had dropped.

"This is yours, right?" Jiraiya asked, handing it to him.

Naruto nodded, taking the ball back. He looked at Jiraiya, then at the toy.

"Want to play catch?" Naruto asked, sounding hopeful. Jiraiya smiled, "Sure!" he answered eagerly. Jiraiya moved back a few paces. He and Naruto spent the afternoon playing. As they played catch, they would occasionally ask each other questions. Where did Jiraiya's clan live? Did all Gargoyles look the same? How do humans hunt without claws and teeth? Did gargoyles serve a king like Jiraiya's village did?

After a while, they ran out of questions. Once they grew bored with catch, they broke out into a game of tag. Jiraiya was astonished at how quick Naruto was, and after several attempts to catch him, gave up. Naruto taught Jiraiya some gargoyle games they both could play, and Jiraiya showed him the spinning toy he'd been playing with.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, curious about the object. "It's a top." Jiraiya said. He showed Naruto how to wind the string around it, then pull quickly to make the toy dance and spin. Naruto had never seen anything like it.

"There's nothing like that in the clan." Naruto said, watching the toy. Jiraiya reached down and picked it up.

"You know," Jiraiya said, "I have a bunch of these at home. Want to trade?"

Naruto looked at Jiraiya in amazement. "Really?" he asked, sounding excited. Jiraiya nodded, and handed the top To Naruto. Naruto, in turn, handed him the ball.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked, looking over the top. It was a great toy, and he wanted it, but it felt odd, taking something from someone else. "Yeah," Jiraiya said, throwing the ball against a tree and catching it. "My dad makes them, so I can always get another." Jiraiya said, "He makes a lot of things out of wood, and sells them to other villages."

Jiraiya looked at Naruto curiously, and didn't have to ask the question he was thinking. Naruto stood up just a bit straighter. "My father is the chief of our clan." Naruto stated, his voice filled with pride. "He's the biggest and strongest in our clan."

"Wow," said Jiraiya, sounding impressed. "I wish I could see a big gargoyle."

Naruto was about to say something, when a familiar scent made him pause. He glanced over his shoulder and looked around. He paused a moment to identify the scent.

Naruto perked up slightly. "My brother's coming, he must be looking for me." he said happily.

Jiraiya looked around. "I don't hear anything." he said. "I can smell him," Naruto explained, "He's a little far away."

Suddenly, Naruto had an idea. He turned to Jiraiya. "Sauske is a big gargoyle. Only my father's bigger. Would you like to meet him?"

Jiraiya looked interested. "Is he really big?" he asked curiously.

"He's a warrior!" Naruto said, "Come on, I'll show you." Then, He took his human friends wrist and the two of them hurried away eagerly.

**-**_**XXXX**_**-**

**Incase anyone was wondering, Jiraiya is 7 and Naruto is 4 in this.**


	3. AN

Due to complications with my co-author, I'm sad to say that Diamond in the Rough will no longer be updated. I've tried since last September when the last update was made to work with her but she was being.... Difficult, to say the least. Just yesterday I recieved an e-mail from her telling me that she would no longer work on the story with me and that I wasn't to try and continue it on my own since alot of the ideas were hers as well.

I'm very sorry to those that liked the story and would've liked to see it continue.

Blackmoon7875


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